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T H E C O S T E F F E C T I V E B R I D E
Vol 2, No. 13 October 8, 2001
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Kelly Kons, Editor, kelly@bwedd.com
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The Cost-Effective Bride \ Kós-te-'fek-tiv Brid \ n.
(2001): The about-to-be-married woman that desires the
tangible, emotional, and memorable benefits of her
wedding to outweigh the money and time spent on
producing those benefits. She is both elegant and fun,
emotional and sensible. She understands that more
expensive does not necessarily equal better. She is
you.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
SUGGESTIONS FROM BRIDES LIKE YOU!
Hi there! I have been receiving a lot of e-mails with
suggestions from brides like you. So, I thought I
would share some of the suggestions that I thought you
might enjoy. In this newsletter you will:
* Learn how to make a cost-effective candle centerpiece
* Learn how to make luminarias (luminaries)
* Learn about one bride's great experience with an
online dress shop.
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So for starters, this message was sent to me by Alaina
and gives great details on how to make cost-effective
candle centerpieces:
"Steps:
1. Clean out empty moist cat food cans - one per couple
and let dry thoroughly.
2. Take can-opener and make a hole wide enough to fit a
candle in it. The width of the bottom of the candle
determines the width of the hole.
3. Cut and glue a circle of felt (any color) with a
hole in the center and glue to outside bottom of the
can.
4. Alternate and glue 3 large and 3 small roses/rose
buds (or any flower you prefer of proportionate sizes)
so the flowers end at the edge of the can (not over)
and hides the base of the candle.
5. Optional: glue a piece of felt around the side of
the can.
6. Wrap and glue 2 individual layers of lace around
the side.
7. Glue a string of (small) pearls around the top edge
of the can.
8. Insert candle.
** you can color-coordinate these to the color theme
of your wedding. Enjoy these inexpensive yet beautiful
favors!"
- Alaina
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Having your wedding away from home? Want to keep your
out-of-town guests involved in your wedding? A great
way to keep your guests informed and involved - no
matter where you or your wedding is - is through your
wedding website! Sign up today:
http://www.Bwedd.com/PageBuilder/SignUp.asp?p=ceb20b
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Next, from Mari comes a great suggestion for making
luminarias as centerpieces:
"I had an idea that I wanted to share. I was agonizing
over the center pieces for our wedding. Then it came
to me! I'm part Hispanic, so what better than using a
traditional Hispanic way with candles? I've decided to
use luminarias (AKA luminaries) on each table. I found
lots of sites that had them, but I decided to use plain
white paper bags and stencil in an ivy design (similar
to our invitations) for color. One reminder, don't
forget to put sand in the bottom of the bag so that the
candle has a sturdy base and there is something to
catch the wax.
"Breakdown on the luminarias:
- Bags (8 cents each at Paper Warehouse)
- Candles (20 cents each at Wal Mart)
- Ivy vine (1/2 price at Hobby Lobby; $4 for 9 ft.,
approx. 11/2 ft around base of each bag)
- Ivy stencil (4.99 at Hobby Lobby)
- Green paint ($1.99 at Hobby Lobby)
- Stencil paintbrush ($1.99 at Hobby Lobby)
- Sand (we already had some)
"For a grand total of $1.53 per luminaria (we assumed
20 luminarias). Total cost to decorate all of the
tables and outside lining the sidewalk where people
come in, $52.00. Beat that!
"Plus, we've found a place nearby that will make us a
custom stamp (for about $12). We're going to get our
initials made into a stamp and stamp the centers of the
bags with silver ink (those are our colors, hunter &
silver). We thought this would make them even more
personal. After the wedding we'll be able to use the
stamp on our thank-you's, etc."
- Mari
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Finally, Michelle shared with me a great experience she
had at an online bridal shop:
"I wanted to share my experience with you and possibly
your readers. I found a wedding dress that I fell in
love with. As it happens so often, this dress was not
in my price range. I just couldn't justify purchasing
such an expensive dress, however, every other dress
just paled in comparison. So, I found out the name of
the designer and dress, and I found a store in LA (I am
in FL) via the internet that was willing to sell me the
SAME dress, brand new, from the designer, for $500
less!!! I almost kissed the ground; I was so happy.
"The name of the company is Dress 2 the 9's Bridal.
The owner is D'Anna P. Macaluso, and her number is
225-218-1090. They have a website:
* http://www.dress2the9sbridal.com D'Anna is
extremely helpful in assisting you with everything
from determining the right size to suggestions on
jewelry. I just ordered my dress last week, but when
D'Anna placed the order with the designer, they had
the exact dress, size, color, etc. in stock."
Later, I received the following message from Michelle:
"I finally got my dress!!! I received the tracking
number, and I was endlessly tracking the package on
ups.com - I think that was the longest 3 days of my
life!!! Anyway, the dress was in perfect condition. I
ordered a dress by Maggie Sottero, and the dress
arrived in a box labeled 'Maggie Sottero' bridal.
Also, the dress was still sealed in a bag. And, the
bridal store even included a little Mary Kay gift!!! I
am SOOOOO happy!!!!"
- Michelle
You can see a picture of Michelle and her dress at:
http://www.Bwedd.com/Couples/MichellesDress.asp
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Thanks Alaina, Mari, and Michelle for your great
suggestions! If YOU have ideas, please send them to me
at: kelly@bwedd.com As always, I hope you are enjoying
your time of engagement and taking the time to remember
why it is you got engaged!
Sincerely,
Kelly Kons
http://www.Bwedd.com/TrueCompanions/default.asp?ceb20
* Brilliance Web Design does not promote any companies
or products mentioned in this newsletter, including
dress2the9sbridal.com, Hobby Lobby, Paper Warehouse,
Wal Mart, and Maggie Sottero. Brilliance Web Design,
Inc. is not responsible for any experience you may have
with their company or their products.
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** Do you have questions about this or past articles?
Please drop me a line. I would love to hear from you
and help you out in any way I can! **
- Kelly Kons, Editor
kelly@bwedd.com
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Kelly Kons, Editor kelly@bwedd.com
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